The red bricks were scorched black, extending from the second story down, fading to a muddy gray-red as it moved toward the ground. Part of the roof had caved in and the windows on both floors were blown-out. The post office and coffee shop that sat on either side of the building were undamaged, and thankfully the fire had happened at such a time that it appeared no one was hurt.
The police officer stood silently beside her, as if she knew that Lana needed a few moments to come to terms with what her eyes were telling her.
What am I going to do?
The thought repeated in her head like a mantra, as the severity of her situation hit her like a sledgehammer.
“I’m Captain Louise Alcott. I’m sorry for what has happened, but there isn’t much you can do right now. Is there somewhere you can go until we’ve had more time to assess the damage?”
Lana gave a numb shake of her head as she stared straight ahead. She had given up everything to buy the building. There was no place for her to go. She bit her lip to keep from screaming her horror at seeing her wonderful new beginning sitting ruined in front of her.
Through the fog of her thoughts, she saw the firefighter who’d spoken to the police officer glanced over to where she still stood beside Lana. He swept his helmet off and carried it in his hand as he strode towards them. His ink dark hair was plastered to his head with sweat and soot covered his face, with only patches of his skin showing where sweat had washed the grime of fighting the fire away.
“Look, lady, this isn’t a show we’ve put on for tourists. Go gawk somewhere else.”
Lana turned her shocked eyes up to his stormy gray gaze, and swept them over the hard cast of his face. In another time or place, she would have found the strong, masculine lines of his face attractive, but at the moment, all she could focus on were his hard words as they bit into the air between them.
“Ben, this is the building’s new owner.”
The police captain’s words brought him up short, and some of the harshness faded from his face. His lips formed a whispered swear word as a muscle in his jaw flexed.
“I’m sorry if I spoke out of turn.” His mouth tightened for a moment as if the words of apology had been pulled from him against his volition. He was obviously a man who rarely said sorry, but knew that he had to say something to compensate for his rudeness. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”
A laugh that was close to hysteria escaped Lana. She took a deep breath and did her best to shove aside the storm of emotions that had been churning inside her since she’d seen what had happened to the bookstore. She didn’t have the luxury of falling apart right now, and she injected steel into her spine as she stood a little straighter.
“Really? From where I’m standing, it looks pretty bad.” She appreciated that he might want to soften the blow of the fire’s destruction, but she needed a realistic description of the scope of the fire’s damage. “Be honest and tell me how bad it really is.”
Captain Alcott gave a sharp laugh. “Trust me, honey, Ben never sugar-coats anything.”
The firefighter shot her a look, and it was evident that he was not the least bit amused by her words. With a shake of his head, he turned his eyes back to look at Lana and for a moment, she felt captured by them.
“The upstairs bore the brunt of it.” His eyes penetrated hers and Lana could see the honesty there, could hear it in the slightly gravelly, whiskey-rough tone of his voice. “You’ll have your work cut out for you rebuilding it. Fortunately, we got here in time to save the lower level. Other than the blown-out windows, it is mostly smoke damage in there.”
“What about the books?”
Not all the titles that she intended to stock in the store were inside, but a lot of the stock left behind by the Johnsons had been in there already, and their loss would put a real dent in her inventory and cost a fortune to replace. When she’d come to town, she had been prepared to put in some work to get the store to how she envisioned, but now that work had expanded exponentially.
“Ruined, I’m afraid.” He said it in such a matter of fact way that he came off almoost callous. But then why would he care about a few books? She was sure that from his perspective books could be replaced. And while Lana knew they could, it felt like just one more blow.
“Can you estimate the damage?” She wanted someone to tell her what her eyes and brain were telling her. That it wasn’t going to take months before she could get her life up and running again.
“Look, lady—”
“Lana.” Finally something other than dull despair fired through her as she snapped at him. “My name is Lana.”
His mouth quirked for a second, as if found the notion that she would stand up to him amusing.
“Look, Lana, I’m not an accountant. I can tell you what the physical damage is, but not how much it is going to cost you to fix it.” The thread of amusement still running through his voice caused something to snap inside her. She didn’t care how easy this man was on the eyes, it didn’t give him the right to laugh at her when her whole world was falling apart.
She clenched her jaw so tight that it sounded like her teeth were creaking inside her mouth as they ground together. “May I please speak to the fire chief?”
He stared at her for a moment before rolling his eyes. “So you want to go over my head, talk to my boss?”
“Yes, exactly.” Anger simmered inside Lana as she stared at him. She had come to this town and found her dream had literally gone up in smoke. She didn’t need to be laughed at by an attractive asshole on top of it all.
His full mouth pulled into a wolfish grin and amusement sparkled brighter in his gray eyes. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought he was getting off on antagonising her.
“You’re looking at him, sweetheart.” His grin got wider and his teeth flashed a brilliant white against his soot-covered skin. “I’m the fire chief.”
Lana closed her eyes for a second as she eased out a slow breath. Of course he was the fire chief. Nothing had gone right for her since she’d gotten to this town, so what made her think she’d be spared from continuing to deal with him?
“What do I do now?” She fought as hard as she could to keep her tone professional. She was used to dealing with difficult people at her old job in Boston, she could deal with one difficult man now.
“What you usually do in a situation like this.”
“Are you fucking with me? Do you think this is funny?” Lana took a step closer to him and had to crane her neck to look up at him. He towered over her, his big body now blotting out her line of sight to the ruination of her life. “I have no idea what you usually do in a situation like this! I don’t have much experience with businesses I’ve purchased going up in flames!”
“Okay, let’s just take a step back and take a deep breath.” Captain Alcott’s gentle hand came down on Lana’s arm and she tugged her back a few steps. “Ben, could you at least try to be helpful?”
As if he’d just realized what he’d been doing, the amused look was wiped from his face and replaced with one of neutral professionalism.
“We’re going to call in the county’s fire marshal to investigate and determine the cause of the fire. I will fill out a full report later today about what happened. I can bring it to you first thing tomorrow so you can contact your insurance company and get the ball rolling on the repair work.”
How hard had it been for him to tell her that to start with?
“Thank you.”
He grunted in response, as if he hadn’t expected her to be gracious.
“I just need to know where you are staying so I can deliver the report to you tomorrow.”
His words brought Lana right back to the reality of her situation. She had intended to move straight into the upstairs apartment; she had no alternate plans or friends nearby she could stay with. She was effectively homeless.
“I have nowhere to stay.” And right now, she just wanted to be away from him and get started putting her life bac
k together. “I’ll figure something out. Just bring the report here tomorrow. I need to start cleaning up anyway.”
He shook his head. “You can’t start cleaning up until the fire marshal has had a look first.”
“And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?” She certainly didn’t want to sit and stew about the current downturn her life had taken. That promised to be time filled with recrimination and regret. She needed to do something so she could feel like she was moving forward from this disaster.
“Get to know the town you’ve decided to settle in. Hike. Fish. Go apple picking.” It was evident that he had grown tired of the conversation. “I don't care what you do, as long as you stay away from here until the fire marshal is done.”
“Ben, you aren’t helping.” Captain Alcott gave him a look of censure before she turned her attention to Lana. “He is correct that you can’t go into the building until the fire marshal does what he needs to do to investigate. And if you are going to stay in town, you’ll need to find accommodations until the apartment is habitable. The Maple Inn should still have a couple of rooms available, despite it being high season. I can show you where it is if you like.”
“What if they don’t?” Lana hated how small her voice was, but the weight of everything was starting to press down on her. This was not how she imagined her new beginning would go. And if she was at all superstitious, she could almost believe that this was a sign to cut her losses and try to get her old job back.
“You might have to go back where you came from until we get everything sorted. Leave a number for us to contact you at and we’ll be in touch.”
Lana’s eyes flashed toward Ben, and he was watching her carefully as if he was testing her to see if she would fall apart. She wasn’t about to crumble now. This was a new start for her and she wasn’t about to give it up at the first stumbling block.
“She could stay with us.” Another firefighter stepped towards them. He had his jacket and helmet off and his dark hair was in disarray, as if he’d raked his fingers through it many times. His eyes were a similar shade of gray to the Ben’s, but they were dancing as a cheeky grin carved a dimple deep into his left cheek.
Ben stiffened as he turned his head very slowly toward the firefighter who now stood beside him.
“She cannot stay with us.” There was a thread of steely authority in Ben’s voice as he glared at the man standing next to him. The other man appeared unfazed by it.
“Why not? Shadowbrook has plenty of room, and the Maple Inn might not have any rooms available.” He propped an elbow on Ben’s shoulder and extended his other hand to Lana. “Josh Stokes.”
“Lana.” She shook his hand as the situation she found herself in took on an edge of the surreal. Was this even really happening? “Shadowbrook is yours?”
Shadowbrook was a huge historical estate that stood on the edge of town, overlooking the tiny but beautiful Lake Mahkeenac. She’d seen the sprawling estate on Historical Massachusetts’ website when she’d been researching the area, but couldn’t reconcile the pictures she’d seen of it with the carefree-looking young man in front of her.
“It doesn’t matter,” Ben growled as he shook off Josh’s arm. “She can’t stay with us.”
Lana looked between the two of them. Josh appeared just as friendly and open as he had when he’d walked up to them; Ben looked ready to murder him. And despite the kindness of the offer, Lana had no intention of accepting.
“Thank you, but I think I’ll take my chances at the inn. It will be easier for me to do the work I need to do on the store if I’m here in town.” Not to mention that she needed time to absorb what had happened and she couldn't do that in a stranger’s house. And certainly not in the company of the surly fire chief.
If she’d been inclined to laugh, the comic look of relief on Ben’s face would have stirred some amusement inside her. Unfortunately, nothing about this situation was funny.
“Of course.” The grin never faded from Josh’s face as he elbowed Ben in the ribs and inclined his head toward Lana. “We’ll be in touch.”
Ben’s mouth tightened as he glared at Josh. A low rumble sounded in his throat as he shifted on his feet and pulled a card out of his pocket. He extended it to Lana and she looked at it. Apparently he shared the same last name as the man standing beside him, and she wondered how it was possible for someone as grouchy as him to be related to someone as friendly as Josh.
“I’ll find you at the Maple Inn tomorrow.” Perhaps it was his demeanor that made it sound ominous. As Lana watched the two men turn and walk away, she consoled herself with the knowledge that once the investigation was over with, she wouldn't have to deal with the fire chief again.
“Well, he’s certainly a charmer.” The deep sarcasm in Lana’s voice drew an amused laugh from Captain Alcott.
“Don’t mind him. His bark is worse than his bite.”
Somehow, as she watched Ben’s large, broad body walk away from her, Lana doubted it.
4
Ben
“What the fuck were you thinking, telling her that she could stay with us?” Burning anger nestled deep within Ben. How could his brother have been so stupid as to invite a stranger, and a human at that, to stay with them. There was a small crowd of wolves in the fire station, and somehow they’d found out what Josh had done while they were still at the scene. Now, instead of a private discussion, the situation had blossomed into a public dressing-down. It was what the wolves expected.
The wolves who stayed behind at the station had heard the commotion and come to see what it was all about. The full pack wasn’t at the station, but the ones that were there were more than enough to lend gravity to the situation. A sea of angry faces were directed at Josh, and as much as Ben’s instincts screamed to protect his brother, he knew he couldn’t.
Josh, of course, didn't look the least bit bothered by the glares he was getting as he changed out of his fire boots and into his sneakers. “I was thinking that she’s new in town and just found her new home and business on fire. She could use our help.”
“We don’t help humans.” Derek stepped forward with a growl. Ben looked at him sharply, and it didn’t cause the wolf to back down as he should have. It was Ben’s place to chastise Josh for his actions today, not Derek’s. But apparently Derek didn’t think so.
The young wolf was tall and lithe, his angry energy visible in the tense lines of his slender muscles. He stepped forward and crossed his arms over his chest with his dark eyes flashing dangerously.
“We help humans all the time. We’re the town’s fire department, for Christ’s sake.” It appeared that Josh didn’t see the difference between helping the town put out fires and extending hospitality to a single human.
“Fighting fires for the town is completely different from offering our home out like it is some sort of flophouse.” Eloise bounced lightly on her feet as if she needed to release some of the energy that her body was taking in from the group. She was normally one of the more level-headed wolves in the pack but she, like all the wolves around them, was feeding off the anger ramping up inside the room.
Josh rolled his eyes. To him, Ben was sure, there was nothing to be angry about. “I have no intention of turning our place into a flophouse. It’s not like I was going to set her up in a room next to yours, Eloise. Shadowbrook has over a hundred rooms. She would probably have had a better chance of getting lost than of seeing something she shouldn’t.”
“That doesn’t matter.” Tyler stepped closer, his voice growling as a razor-thin ring of amber edged his irises. He was Josh’s oldest and most trusted friend, but even he didn't appear to be on Josh’s side on this one. “Who are you to decide for the pack?”
“For fuck’s sake, she didn’t accept the invitation. I don’t know why you are all getting riled up over this.” The easy smile had fallen off Josh’s face as he too got caught up in the emotion of the room.
“But what if she had?” Several voices chimed in, and Ben could
see the situation would soon escalate into a fight.
“Enough.” The roar of authority was evident in his command, and it was like the air was sucked out of the room. Everyone fell silent, and some of the high emotions in the room faded as they instantly obeyed their alpha.
Ben rubbed his thumb between his brows as the mother-of-all-headaches developed behind his eyes. That woman Lana had stirred up some disturbing emotions inside him, and the last thing he needed to deal with was dissention within the pack, too. He had to get control of this situation, and he cursed his brother for stirring up trouble within the pack with his thoughtless offer.
“Those of you who were at the scene of the fire, go get cleaned up. Everyone else, go back to doing whatever it was you were doing before. Josh, I’ll speak to you in my office.”
“No.” Derek refused to budge as some of the others slowly drifted away. There was a look of deep resentment on his face.
Ben froze; he could feel his muscles swelling under his skin at the challenge to his authority. He’d known that Derek would eventually cause trouble, but he hadn’t realized that all he was looking for was a single incident to face off against his alpha.
“What did you say?” Ben’s words were dark as he turned toward Derek. The wolves looking on froze where they were, as if afraid to move a single muscle for fear of incurring their alpha’s wrath. It should have been enough to get Derek to back down, but he was too full of his own bravado to know what was good for him.
“I said no.” Derek took another step closer as his upper lip curled slightly. “You always do this. You let him get away with shit that you would put any one of us in the ground for. I get it, he’s your brother. But he’s also your second-in-command, and he needs to learn to put the pack first.”
“I do put the pack first!” Josh stepped closer, and Ben had had enough of his brother for one day. Sometimes he didn’t think before he opened his mouth.
“Just fucking shut up, Josh.” And for once, Josh did what he was told. Ben turned toward Derek with all the strength and authority that were his right as alpha. “I will deal with my second as I see fit.”
Obsessed With The Alpha Wolf (Firefighter Wolves Shifters Book 1) Page 2
